WHAT ARE PEAK SUN HOURS?
A sun’s energy output estimation is calculated by utilizing the variable Peak-Sun-Hour (PSH) multiplied by the energy from the solar photovoltaic device in Watts. The hours of peak sun are not identical to “hours of sunlight,” which refers to the total number of hours from sunrise until sunset. The peak sun hours refer to the amount of solar radiation an area receives during the day. The unit of measurement is kWh/m2 per day.
A peak hour of sunlight is daytime when the sun’s intensity averages 1000 watts/meter2. For example, a spot with a PSH of 5 (kWh/m2) means the area receives 5 hours of solar energy when sunlight exceeds 1000 W/m2.
Let’s look at an illustration for energy calculation for a solar photovoltaic device by using the hours of peak sunlight if we have a solar photovoltaic 5kW system in Raleigh that receives five peak hours of sun as an average for the year. Based on the system’s wattage and the peak sun hours, we can determine the amount of energy the system generates each year:
Daily Energy 5 kW * 5 hours (PSH) is 25 kWh
Annual Energy 25 kWh divided by 7365 days = 9125kWh
To simplify, the numbers aren’t representative of any real-world degrades loss, inefficiencies, and losses.
Electric utility companies bill their customers in Kilowatt hours (kWh) as the standard unit of energy. Also, we can calculate the kWh value assigned to the solar system by dividing the sun’s peak hours by the solar system’s sizes to quickly determine the solar offset based on the total use of electric utilities in kWh.
HOW MANY HOURS OF SOLAR PRODUCTION ARE THERE PER DAY IN NORTH CAROLINA?
The sun’s peak hours can differ according to location and sunlight exposure. 8MSolar engineers have discovered the fact that they know that in North Carolina, the average maximum sun hours range between 5 and 5.5. Throughout the year, the peak hour value for sun hours fluctuates according to the angle of the solar panels. A system tilted to 35 degrees Raleigh will average 3.8 PSH in January; in May, the mean increases to 5.7. It fluctuates between a high and a low all through each year. Raleigh’s maximum sun hours PSH mean is five times a year. Charlotte’s average is five peak hours of sun each year, and so on.
Peak sun hour values depend on the angle of solar modules relative to the sun. For instance, a south-facing roof angled at 50 degrees in Raleigh receives a 4.8 PSH annual average compared to a 5 PSH average for 35 degrees of tilt.
GO SOLAR WITH 8MSOLAR
8MSolar can assist you in getting the ideal solar location at your home to maximize the sun’s peak hours. Are you thinking of switching to solar or upgrading your existing solar panels to maximize the benefits of the sun’s peak hours? Contact us now, or look through our latest projects to learn more about how 8MSolar can assist you in making the most from solar.